Automatic car-coupling.



no. 660,492. Patented Oct. 23, I900. .1. EDWARDS.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

Application Med Nov. 7, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Shea l.

(No Model.-

INVENTOR m: Noaals PETERS co, Puofauwoq wnnmm'ou. n. c

No. 660,492 Patented Oct. 23, I900.

J. EDWARDS.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Novv 7, 1899.) (No Model.)

4.Sheats-Sheet 2.

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WITNESSES mveu'ron 224% W ZWM No. 660,492. Patented Oct. 23, I900. J; EDWARDS.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING. (Appli cation filed Nov. 7, 1889.)

(No Model.) 4 $haets-Sheet 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR No. 660,492. v Fatent'ed Oct. 23, I900.

I .1. EDWARDS. AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING..

(Application filed Nov. 7, 1599.)

(N9 Model.) 4-Sheets-$heot 4.

WITNESSES INVENTOR mus PETERS co.. morauma, wnumoron. g. c

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE JOHN EDWARDS, OF HOMEQTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN JARRETT, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,492, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed November 7, 1899. serial No. 736,206. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN EDWARDS, of

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Car- Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which I Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved coupler. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of my improved coupler when used as a single coupler with a standard coupler and showing my improved locking-block. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. at and 5 are cross-sectional views showing the locking-pin in its unset and set posit-ions. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the knuckle; and Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the twin couplingheads in position ready for coupling.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

In car-couplers it is desirable to secure the greatest strength with lightness and compactness of the parts.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic car-couplers; and it has for its object a double coupler that will couple singly with the standard or Master Car-Builders coupler.

It consists in an automatic car coupler wherein twin heads are employed, each head being pivoted and having a swinging kn uckle and upon the other side a horn, which forms a double couple where twin heads containing my improvement are used and a. single coupler where it is used with couplers of the Master Oar-Builders type.

It also consists of an improvement inthe locking and unlocking devices.

In the drawings, 2 represents the couplerthe head inthe path of the opposing head, whereby when the heads are brought together the shanks are pushed back into the recess in the head and the knuckles are caused to close over the projecting horn 8, that extends from the opposite side of the coupler-head from the side to which the knuckle is pivoted, and thereby couple the cars, the knuckle 4 of each head inclosing the horn 8 of the opposite head, thus forming a double coupler-that is, the knuckles instead of engaging with each other engage with horns extending from the opposite head. These parts may he of any suitable material and construction.

\Vhere it is desired to couple a car provided with my improved coupler with a car provided With the standard or Master Oar-Builders coupler, the knuckle 4 engages with the knuckle of the standard coupler in the usual manner, as is shown in Fig. 2.

In automatic couplers difliculty is often experienced in uncoupling thecars owing to the fact that it becomes necessary to push the cars together, and thereby reduce the friction, before the locking-pin can be withdrawn. It is also desirable that the locking-pin may be left in its unlocked position to enable the cars to be uncoupled by merely drawing the cars apart, To this end and to remove the friction on the locking device that locks the tail 6 of the knuckle I employ a locking device which consistsin a swinging block 9, piv-. oted in a recess in the head by a pin 10, to which the block is keyed, and at the end of this pin outside of the head is a pivoted latch 11, which is pivoted to the arm 13, which is keyed to the pin 10, and it is adapted to be supported in its elevated position by the lug l2, which'extends from the tail 6 through an opening in the head, the latch 11 resting on this lug, as is shown in Fig. 4;. This block 9 is made in two parts a Z7, between which extends the wedge-shaped locking-pin 14, which pin is connected with the unlocking leverchain 15 and is adapted to be operated thereby in the usual manner. The latch 11 is normally in its unset position, as is shown in Fig. 5. Thelocking-pin 14 is connected with The purpose of this form of attachment, is to permit of the partial withdrawal of the pin from between the parts of the block before the locking-block is lifted to release the knuckle.

The locking-block 9 is provided with an arm or lug 18, which when the knuckle is in its I closed position is adapted to drop in front of raising the locking-pin the wedge portion is first loosened in the space between the parts a b, which loosens the block in the cavity and removes the friction which may be caused by the pressure of the tail of the knuckle and then lifts the block on its pivotal axis, swinging the lug 18 out of the path of the tail of the knuckle.

When it is desired to leave the block 9 in its elevated position, so that the cars may at any time be drawn apart, the latch 11 is swung over the end of the tail of the knuckle and is allowed to rest thereon.

The locking-pin 14 is provided ashort distance below its head with a notch 19, which engages with the coupler-head 2 within the recess therein when the pin is in its lower or looking position. In releasing the pin, when power is applied to the chain 15 owing to the fact that the pin is in an inclined position it is drawn forward as well as upwardly, thereby releasing the notch from engagement with the top portion of the head 2, allowing the pin to be brought to its elevated position. The top portion of the pin l4 is weighted, which adds to the force of gravity on thepin.

I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular position or shape of the parts, it being essential only that they be placed and constructed to operate substantially in the manner described.

As shown in the drawings, the arm 20 of the coupler-head is reduced to a very short length and it fits in a correspondingly shallow recess 21 in the opposing head. This is of material advantage in reducing the weight and forming a very complete lock when the twin heads are coupled together. The advantages of m'yinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The coupler is caused to couple on double horns without any material increase in weight or bulk and at the same time it may readily be coupled .with the standard coupler. The great advantage of the double coupler is that if one knuckle should break the other will hold.

The locking block and pin enable the cars to be uncoupled even when one coupler is pulling on the other, and my improvement also allows the knuckles to be left unlocked when in their engaged position. By my invention'I provide a double coupler that is light and strong and one that will couple with a single coupler as readily as with its twin head.

' What I claim is- 1. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of ahead pivoted to the draw-bar, a swinging knuckle pivoted in the head, and a horn extending from the head, the knuckle being adapted to engage with the horn of a twin head or withv the knuckle of a single coupler.

2. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a coupler-head, a swinging knuckle, a locking-block, and a locking-pin adapted to secure and loosen the block in the recess of the coupler-head.

In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a head pivoted to the draw-bar, a knuckle having a tail and a shank, a horn extending from the head, and a locking device, the knuckle being adapted to engage with the horn of a twin heador with the knuckle of a single coupler.

4. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of acoupler-head, a swinging knuckle,

a separable locking-block, and a locking-pin 9 adapted to separate the parts of the block.

5. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of acoupler-head, a swinging knuckle, a separable lockingblock, a lockingpin adapted to separate the parts of the block, and a latch connected with the block and adapted to hold it in a raised position.

6. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a coupler-head, a swinging knuckle, a separable locking-block, and a locking-pin adapted to separate the parts of the block, said pin having a notch adapted to engage with the coupler-head when the pin is in its lowered position.

7. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a coupler-head pivoted to the drawbar, a swinging knuckle pivoted to the head, a horn extending from the coupler-head, and an arm and a recess,the knuckle being adapted to engage with the horn of a twin couplerhead or with the knuckle of a single coupler, and the arm being adapted to fit within the recess of a twin coupler or to engage with the back of the knuckle of a single coupler.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. BITTNER, JOHN I. WILLER. 

